Hate Crime Against Turkish Couple in Brooklyn

Published: 06-29-2011

A drunk Brooklyn man is charged with hate crime for pouring beer on his Turkish neighbour, calling her “Arab terrorist” and punching her husband, New York Daily News reported.

Simchon Schwartz, 46, screamed “F---ing Arabs! F---ing terrorists” as he grabbed his Turkish neighbour, Selda Turan, 27, and poured beer on her head. Following the unprovoked attack Saturday night in Mill Basin, Scwartz hid in a local synagogue and resisted New York police when they came to arrest him.

When Turan’s husband, Mustafa Turan rushed out of their house to protect his wife, Schwartz punched him in the face.

As Schwarts arraigned in Brooklyn Criminal Court on charges including hate crime, his attorney Lance Lazzaro claimed Monday night that police arrested the wrong person and his client was attacked by Mustafa Turan, 32, after Selda Turan complained about the children making so much noise. He also claimed that Turan hit Schwartz calling him a “dirty Jew”.

Police found no physical evidence supporting the allegations of Lazzaro while Mustafa Turan needed three stitches to close a gash on his nose. It is reported that Schwartz could get up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

The incident erupted at 7 p.m. Saturday when Schwartz attacked on Selda Turan. Opening a can of beer, Schwartz poured the beer on Turan and grabbed her by her arm, pushed her into the side of her car and called her an “Arab terrorist”.

Selda Turan, Turkish women who moved into heavily Jewish neighborhood about a month ago, was left with scratches and bruises while Schwartz was released without bail.

Following the incident, Schwartz, a car dealer, found hidding in a local synagogue and resisted security forces who came to arrest him. Cops smelled alcohol on his breath, sources told.

Schwartz struggled with police and he was dragged out of synagogue in handcuffs. It is reported that his wife, Esther Schwartz made a veiled threat to the victims telling, “This is a majority Jewish neighborhood. We're going to get you back”.

New York Daily News reported that Schwartz’s wife started to circulate a petition in the neighbourhood urging the landlord of Turans to evict them. About 20 neighbours signed the petition while Turan’s landlords, Rusden and Saadet Dolan stressed that they do not have any problem with the couple.